An Android Phone That Starts at $9,600? Vertu’s Ti Launches

British-based luxury mobile phone maker Vertu has announced its first Android smartphone. And no, as was true for other Vertu phones, you probably can't afford it.

The handmade Vertu Ti starts at $9,600, with a more expensive rose gold-trimmed model that sells for a whopping $19,900.

The hardware is only the best, including a 3.7-inch sapphire crystal screen, an 8-megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p video capture, and a grade 5 titanium casing. The phone is powered by a dual-core 1.7 GHz processor.

But $9,600 won't buy you the latest version of Android; the Ti is launching with Android 4.0 software, which dates from 2011 (the current version is Android 4.2). But Vertu says it has put its own spin on design with a "uniquely tailored" user interface.

In an interview with the BBC, Chief Executive Perry Oosting explained the company's choice to join the Android community, saying, "You need to be part of an ecosystem." Vertu previously made high-quality Nokia phones. The phones will only be available through selected high-end retailers.

Though this is not Vertu's most expensive phone to date, the company claims it is definitely the most powerful. Not that we don't think $10K is worth it, but you can always get the Google's latest Nexus 4, with the latest version of Android and a quad-core processor, for $299.